Handheld electronic devices, such as smartphones, cellular telephones and personal digital assistant (PDAs) can provide useful functionality in a small package. However, conflicting considerations exist in certain aspects of their design in some instances. For example, compactness of the device is beneficial for portability. However, by making a device compact, a user may find it difficult or uncomfortable to use the device, as the i/o elements contained on the device may be close together as a consequence of the device's compact design.